Wrist-watch case

ABSTRACT

A wrist watch case has a middle with an external peripheral groove in which is clipped a split resilient ring having integral horns for attachment of a bracelet. The ends of the ring are disposed about a winding-stem tube and are secured by a dovetailed flange on the tube cooperating with a complementary dovetailed recess in the ends of the ring.

United States Patent Uebelhardt Aug. 26, 1975 [54] WRIST'WATCH CASE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Inventorl Roger Uebelhardt, 68 rue Dufour, 19,325 5 1899 Switzerland 58/88 R 2500 Bienne, Switzerl nd 220,795 4/1942 Switzerland 58/88 R [22] Filed: Aug. 15, 1974 Primary Examiner-George H. Miller, Jr. [21] Appl' N05 4973; Attorney, Agent, or FirmWenderoth, Lind & Ponack [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT 1973 Italy 52185/73 A wrist watch ease has a middle with an external pc- 52] us. 01. 58/88 R; 58/88 B; 58/88 G "plieraigmove whch clpped a reshem havmg Integral horns for attachment of a bracelet. [51] Int. Cl. G04b 37/00 The ends of the g are disposed about a winding [58] F1eld of Search 58/88 R, 88 B, 88 G Stem tube and are Secured y a dove tailed flange on 56] References Cited the tube cooperatlng wlth a eomplementary doveta1led recess 1n the ends of the rIng. UNITED STATES PATENTS 509,889 12 1893 Gaynor 58/88 B 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures WRIST-WATCH CASE The invention relates to wrist-watch cases.

According to the invention, a wrist-watch case comprises a middle, means defining a groove about the external periphery of the middle, a winding-stem tube disposed in the middle and passing through said groove, and a bracelet-attachment member in the form of a two-ended split resilient ring clipped in said groove with the ends of the ring disposed about said tube, said tube having means for securing the ends of the ring.

An embodiment of a wrist-watch case according to the invention is shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view partly in median cross-section at the level of the peripheral groove in the middle; and

P FIG. 2 is an enlarged-scale cross-section taken along line llll of FIG. 1.

The wrist-watch case shown comprises a middle 1 provided about its external periphery with a groove 2, and a bracelet-attachment member in the form of a split (i.e. open) resilient ring 3 clipped in the groove 2. The outer diameter of ring 3 is equal to the outer diameter of middle 1, and the depth of groove 2 is equal to the radial thickness of ring 3.

The two ends of the resilient ring 3 are disposed about a tube 4 for passage of a winding stem, not shown. This tube 4 has means for securing the ends of the ring 3, these means in the example shown consisting of a flange or collar 5 integral with the tube 4 and having a dove-tailed profile 6.

. The ends of the resilient ring 3 are formed to mate withthe flange of tube 4 when the latter is force fitted in a corresponding bore in the middle 2. For this purpose, the contacting ends of ring 3 are pierced with a bore for passage of the tube 4, the outer end of this bore being provided with a dove-tailed recess 7 of complementary shape to the profile 6 of flange 5.

Diametrally opposed horns 8 integral with the resilient ring 3 receive in a known manner male lugs or pins 9 for attachment of a bracelet, not shown.

The middle I and resilient ring 3 may be formed of different materials having different colors, thus producing an unusual aesthetic effect, or in the same materials but with different surface treatments, each of these two parts being separately machined.

In a variation, the resilient split ring 3 could have a greater radial thickness then the depth of groove 2, so that the ring 3 protrudes from the middle 1 giving the case a particular aesthetic aspect.

An advantage of the described watch resides in the simplicity of mass production of the components, notably the open resilient ring which does not have securing lugs or pins and the middle which does not have housings for such lugs or pins. Assembly of the case is also simple.

What is claimed is:

1. A wrist-watch case comprising a middle, means defining a groove about the external periphery of the middle, a winding-stem tube disposed in the middle and passing through said groove, and a bracelet-attachment member in the form of a two-ended split resilient ring clipped in said groove with the ends of the ring disposed about said tube, said tube having means for securing the ends of the ring.

2. A wrist-watch case according to claim 1, in which said tube has a dove-tailed flange, and the ends of the ring are formed with a dove-tailed profile complementary to that of the tube.

3. A wrist-watch case according to claim 1, in which the middle and the bracelet-attachment member are in differently colored materials. 

1. A wrist-watch case comprising a middle, means defining a groove about the external periphery of the middle, a winding-stem tube disposed in the middle and passing through said groove, and a bracelet-attachment member in the form of a two-ended split resilient ring clipped in said groove with the ends of the ring disposed about said tube, said tube having means for securing the ends of the ring.
 2. A wrist-watch case according to claim 1, In which said tube has a dove-tailed flange, and the ends of the ring are formed with a dove-tailed profile complementary to that of the tube.
 3. A wrist-watch case according to claim 1, in which the middle and the bracelet-attachment member are in differently colored materials. 